Electromagnetic waves and signals (hereinafter “waves”) are utilized for many different purposes. For example, electromagnetic waves may be processed in order to convey intelligence, such as by attenuating and/or amplifying electromagnetic wave characteristics, for instance, as is seen when modulating amplitude, frequency or phase of an electrical current or radio frequency (RF) wave to transmit data. As another example, power may be conveyed along a wave in a controlled fashion by attenuating and/or amplifying electromagnetic wave characteristics, such as is seen when modulating voltage or current in a circuit. Moreover, the uses may be combined, such as when intelligence may be conveyed through a wave by processing power characteristics.
Electromagnetic wave characteristic processing may be accomplished through digital or analog techniques. Digital and analog attenuation and/or amplification may also be combined, that is, the same wave may be subject to various types of digital and/or analog attenuation and/or amplification within a system in order to accomplish desired tasks.
However, processing electromagnetic wave characteristics may be difficult. For example, choosing an appropriate technique or component to modify a wave characteristic may be difficult for a number of reasons. One of those reasons involves the type of wave to be modified. For example, low frequency waves, such as 60 Hz power waves, may need different processing techniques than high frequency waves such as 24 GHz radar waves. It is common practice therefore to use different components, with different characteristics, for different waves. For example, a switching semiconductor used within a computer for 60 Hz power waves has different power handling characteristics from a power semiconductor used in a 24 GHz radar system.
One attempt at standardizing techniques and components that has recently been used is to use characteristics of the wave as information to modify the wave. For example, by translating a wave into polar coordinates with amplitude and phase characteristics, either or both characteristics may be used and/or manipulated in such a manner so as to provide standardized techniques for various wave frequencies. However such attempts to date have been constrained by application difficulties. For example, attempts that use multiple amplifiers have suffered from difficulties attendant to amplifier combining. Specifically, components, such as transformers or quarter wave lines, are used to sum the output of the amplifiers in order to drive the load. These components add to the cost and size of the amplifier array.
Accordingly, it would be helpful to the art of electromagnetic processing to provide efficient, and at the same time, accurate techniques for the processing of electromagnetic waves.